This invention relates to oral irrigator housings, and more particularly relates to oral irrigator housings that are keyed to maintain proper orientation between the base and reservoir, and provide protection of the hand piece.
This application is related to co-pending application entitled xe2x80x9cOral Irrigator Handle Assembly Having a Pressure Control Valve and Stop Valve Assembly,xe2x80x9d Ser. No. 09/217,972, filed concurrently herewith, and assigned to the assignee of this application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Oral irrigators are very popular dental hygiene apparatus for use in maintaining healthy gums. Typically, however, oral irrigators are relatively bulky and thus difficult set down for use. Since oral irrigators are often used in bathrooms, and typically bathrooms have little or no counter top space, their size makes them sometimes hard to use. Their size also makes oral irrigators difficult to store when not in use.
Where an oral irrigator includes a removable reservoir for easy filling, these reservoirs are difficult to reposition properly on the base since the reservoir and the base have to be properly engaged to insure the fluid communication from the reservoir to the base is fluid-tight and does not leak. It is sometimes very difficult to reposition the reservoir without any guide or positional guidance.
Further, when the hand piece is stored in the base it is often subject to inadvertent contact which can dislodge or damage the hand piece. Typical oral irrigators allow the hand piece to be stored upright next to the reservoir, but in this position the hand piece is exposed from all but one side to inadvertent and potentially damaging contact by the user.
What is needed in the art is an oral irrigator housing that has a positional orientation structure to make attachment of the separable reservoir to the base more easily accomplished. In addition, an oral irrigator housing that forms a protective envelope around the hand piece while stored upright on the base is needed.
The oral irrigator housing of the present invention was developed with the shortcomings of the available housings described above in mind. The present invention provides an oral irrigator with an improved reservoir placement guide to facilitate easier and more accurate positioning of the reservoir on the top of the base unit in the upright position. In addition, the reservoir in the upright position acts to protect the stored hand piece by surrounding the hand piece in an indentation in the reservoir. The reservoir is also useable as a cover to protect the handle and jet tips, and to allow the oral irrigator to be stored more easily.
In more detail, a housing for an oral irrigator having a hand piece includes a base unit having an upper and lower portion, the lower portion engageable with a support surface and having an upper surface defining a recess for receiving the hand piece, and the lower portion defining a peripheral shoulder. The upper portion extends upwardly from the lower portion and defines a top surface, the top surface defining a port, the upper portion being positioned inside the peripheral shoulder. A reservoir has a bottom surface defining an aperture and sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom surface to define a cavity having a peripheral rim, the sidewalls in part defining an indentation extending from the bottom surface up to a top end adjacent the peripheral rim at a position interior to the peripheral rim. A top wall extends from the top end of the indentation to the peripheral rim, the top wall forming an overhang.
The reservoir is positionable on the base unit such that the peripheral rim engages the peripheral shoulder on the housing unit to encompass the upper portion of the motor housing unit in the cavity. The reservoir is also positionable on the base unit such that the bottom surface of the reservoir rests on the top surface of the upper portion with the port and the aperture in alignment and sealingly engaged. The indentation is oriented with the recess, wherein the hand piece is received in the indentation and covered by the top wall.
In addition, the housing can further include a key extending upwardly from the top surface of the base unit, with the bottom surface of the reservoir defining a recess having a complimentary shape to the key. The key is received in the recess when the reservoir is positioned on the base unit such that the bottom surface of the reservoir rests on the top surface of the upper portion with the port and the aperture in alignment and sealingly engaged.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and its scope can be obtained from understanding the accompanying drawings, which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims.